Sephy the Kitty
by ohsnapples
Summary: Tifa brings home a new member of the family and Cloud doesn't like it one bit... Ch.8 Will Cloud save the kitty that caused him nothing but pain? ... Sequel to 'Zack the Puppy'
1. I Will Never Be a Memory

Hello everybody! Long time no see, eh? Sorry it's been so long; things have just been... bleh. Anyway my sister and I created a sequel to _**'Zack The Puppy' **_to be shown during this Christmas season! (yay!) We have most of the ideas and we won't flake on it like most of our stories. I can't believe that its been a year since we created the first one! and we will try to do this every year for Christmas.

For those of you that didn't read '_**Zack the Puppy'**_and have no intention on reading it we should recap: Cloud brought home a puppy that looks remarkably like Zack; He turned out to be a pain; Cloud and Tifa got engaged; Zack ran away; Found Zack with a dog named Aerith... And there's a lot of other funny cute stuff if I do say so myself, so I really suggest you read it!

So now on with the story. Oh yeah, and please please please REVIEW!

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**_Sephy the Kitty _- 1) I Will Never Be a Memory**

"When will that dog stop growing?" Cloud asked himself as he watched Zack in the corner chewing some bones that came from the chicken they had for dinner. Zack doesn't even look like a puppy anymore, and was looking more like a wolf everyday. Instead of his yipping noise that he made as a puppy, now turned into a deep bark that would scare anybody away. He still liked to break things and now that he was bigger he try to be a little more ambitious and knock over the TV. After the third time of breaking it Cloud and Tifa decided to hang it up on the wall.

Even though Aerith had grown too, she was not nearly as big as Zack. She was quite petite for a dog, and that would confuse her masters because she would eat everything that was in front of her. They figured that she got her exercise when they went to the park because she liked to play in the dirt. Zack would just watch her until a butterfly would fly past him, then go chasing after it.

He sighed. Cloud didn't like being alone at the bar it gave him too much time to think. Tifa went out shopping for shampoo and Cloud wanted to go too but the dogs refused to move from their lazy positions. They couldn't leave the dogs alone and the kids were with Barrett for the weekend. So Cloud had the misfortune of staying home alone. In the dark. In the middle of the night. With no lights on. Maybe he should turn those on…

Cloud nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard the door open slowly. But he recognized the steps instantly and relaxed. But her steps sounded cautious, as if she was nervous. Cloud peaked his head in the bar and saw her put a bag on the table, but she was holding something white and fluffy in her arms. It was too dark to see though.

Cloud saw from the corner of his eyes that Zack stopped chewing the bones and the hair on his back stand up. Zack jumped up and stood in front of Aerith protectively. But she didn't seem bothered, she just looked up with curiosity in her eyes.

"Cloud, please don't be angry," Tifa said from behind him and he turned around to see a fluffy silver cat in her arms. He got a bad feeling instantly. He felt a familiar presence in the cat, an evil presence.

"You got a cat?" he asked nervously. He hated cats, always did.

"That's right." She said and the cuddled the cat to her face. It had the same expression on it's face the whole time. It looked bored. "His name is Sephiroth!"

That's when Cloud jumped back. The same word echoed in his head '_I will… never be a memory.'_

"No, we are **not **keeping him!" The fear shown into his tone. He went behind the bar to put some distance between him and the evil creature.

Tifa gave him a devastated expression. "But he was next in line to be killed."

"Good!" Cloud backed up against the shelf behind the bar and the bottles shook.

"That's heartless, Cloud..." She seriously looked like she was about to cry and he felt himself falling.

He exhailed loudly. "Can you at least change his name?"

The cat looked at Cloud and actually glared at him. "He came with the name, we can't just change it."

Cloud flinched. "I think we can."

Tifa sighed, realizing she was winning, she gave into his one request. "We can change it to a shorter version."

"Like what?"

She looked at the cat and pondered. "I got it! We'll call him Sephy!" She looked over at Cloud and saw he was still frightened. It made her wonder why he was so scared of cats, he never seemed scared of anything else, so why cats? Zack barked from where he was at, trying to gain their attention. Cloud and Tifa both looked at him and Zack began to growl, to say his thoughts on the matter. See? Even Zack agreed with him! Tifa looked back at Cloud and saw he was still unhappy. "Okay, If you really don't want him here I can take him back to the shelter." She looked at Sephy and began to tear up.

All Cloud saw was the engagement ring he gave her and remembered how happy she was when he gave it to her. He would do anything to make her happy again. "Fine, we can keep it."

She looked at him and a huge smile bloomed on her face. She put the cat on the bar and went around to kiss him. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" She kissed him between each 'thank you'. She kissed him one more time enthusiastically and broke off abruptly. "I'll go get him set up!" She grabbed on of the bags she brought in and the kitty and ran up the stairs.

Zack whined and they both knew they lost the battle.

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Sorry its short, but we're just getting started! I will update every Fridays and Tuesdays until Christmas Eve.

Reviews keep me going, so please REVIEW!


	2. Beware of the Claw

I said I'd post this up yesterday... but stuff happened. That is my excuse. If you have any questions about the story plot read _**Zack the Puppy**_ and that might answer some questions.

Thanks to the one person (I didn't see your name in the name bar thingy) who reviewed. C'mon, people, review! I don't function well with only one review! If you review you get your name featured, how awesome is that? xD

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_**Sephy the Kitty**_- **2) Beware of the Claw**

A week after Tifa brought the cat into their home they noticed how Sephiroth-like the kitty really was. Often times when Tifa would check on the pets while she was working she would have trouble finding him, but she would soon then find him in the corner behind the sofa. And the weird part was that he would be sitting up and he would be looking down at the corner at nothing. It was freaky.

Even a week after having Sephy, Cloud and the cat's relationship did not improve in the slightest. Every time Cloud entered the room the kitty would hiss at him or scratch at his feet. Zack didn't like him either, mainly because Sephy liked Aerith, and she didn't mind him so when Sephy would come over and rub his head on Aerith's paws, Zack would be beside himself with rage.

Since Zack was starting to grow out of his 'let's destroy everything I can' phase Cloud and Tifa let both him and Aerith sleep in their room. The cute part was that the shared a big dog bed. They also had to leave the door open, in case one of the dogs got thirsty and needed their water in the kitchen. Cloud and Tifa never thought that they needed to shut the door when they obtained the kitty.

Zack and Aerith, being the heavy sleepers they were, didn't notice the stealthy cat enter the room. He jumped on the bed and his weight shifted the mattress around him, but being so small it didn't affect much and Cloud and Tifa didn't even stir.

What woke Cloud up was the fact that he felt something on his chest. He opened his eyes slowly and saw a silver blob in his vision. When his vision cleared he saw that it was the kitty, and Sephy noticed he was awake and smirked. Or at least it looked like he smirked… Then he raised his paw slowly, and his nails were extended. Cloud knew what he was about to do immediately and rolled off the bed making a loud **_oomph_** noise when he hit the floor.

The room shaking from Clouds fall and his grunt woke Tifa up and she sat up groggily. "Cloud, what are you doing?" she asked, her voice masked with sleep. She looked over and saw Cloud face first on the floor. She then looked at where Cloud was sleeping and saw Sephy, getting into a sitting position.

Zack and Aerith had already been woken up from the noise. Zack stood up and walked over to where Cloud was still face first and started hitting him in the shoulder with his paw, making sure his best friend was okay. Cloud finally rolled over and grunted again and Zack started to pant happily. Aerith rested her head back down to sleep. Then Zack seemed to notice Sephy on the bed and he started to growl.

Even Zack wasn't allowed to sit on the furniture!

Aerith whined from where she was sleeping and it sounded a lot like a 'leave him alone.' Zack snapped his head to look at her then huffed dejectedly as he sulked back to their bed.

Tifa, who was still watching this whole thing, giggled. Cloud stood up and narrowed his eyes, he didn't think this whole situation was funny at all! He extended his hand to try and pick up the cat but Sephy immediately went on the alert and hissed at him, his ears flattened to his skull. Cloud jerked his hand back.

Tifa was now full out laughing as she picked up the kitty, but this time he let Tifa. Cloud narrowed his eyes again. She flung her legs over the side of their bed and stood up.

'C'mon, Sephy, let's go back to your kitty bed before Cloud gets _really_ angry." And with that they both left.

'I'm already there.' Cloud thought as he crawled back in bed.

Marlene poked her head in the room, "Is everything alright? I heard a noise."

"Yeah," Cloud mumbled, his cheeks heating up. "Everything's fine." He watched as she walked away and Tifa showed up in the room a second later, this time she shut the door.

"Maybe we should let the dogs sleep in the living room." She said as she climbed in bed. "It might be better, they would be more independent from us."

Cloud made a humming noise, which was his way of agreeing with her. He had noticed that him and his fiancee hadn't had much alone time, and the dogs were with them constantly. Cloud had also noticed that he hadn't gotten any from Tifa in a while, and he needed it soon. But it wasn't like his relationship was based off that. He was a guy. He had needs.

And he had needs right now.

Tifa was sitting up, looking at the ceiling when Cloud decided to crawl over her and nuzzle her neck with his nose. She giggled as his tongue ran over the skin behind her ear. She brought her hands up and brought him closer as she pressed onto his shoulder blades. She liked the fact that he slept shirtless. He was nice and smooth and it was a lot better than to put her face up against an itchy shirt. His nose traveled from her jaw to her cheek then he kissed her lips softly. He then started to kiss more passionately.

Both dogs started to whine, telling them in their own way to either stop or find another room. Cloud didn't stop. But then there was scratching at the door, then meowing.

Cloud tore his lips away from hers and pressed his forehead against hers. "Not again." Cloud grumbled and Tifa giggled yet again, remembering the same thing happening when they first got Zack. "This time I'm not letting him in."

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If you review I'll reward you with a jealous Cloud. Please? It made me sad to see only one of you told me your thoughts. I'll post again on Friday!

So yeah, review! :D


	3. Jealous Cloud

_I know I said I'd have it up by Friday but I realized that I was ahead of schedule so I will post every Tuesday and Friday. And I think some jealous Cloud lovers will like this chapter._

_A huge thanks to _**ms. Cloud Strife, cookies18, BloodTrinity, the-ice-cold-alchemist, **_and _**muffcakeloverxiii**_ for reviewing! It really means a lot to me!_

_Disclaimer: None of the characters of the Final Fantasy world belongs to me... Sadly_

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**_Sephy the Kitty- _3) Jealous Cloud**

Does nobody else see the evil in this cat? Cloud didn't know why anybody else couldn't see it. They saw what Sephy did to him! They saw his scratched legs and arms! Yet every time the little kitten walked into the room, everybody would 'aww' and comment on how cute his little slanted, evil eyes were. Cloud didn't see it. He just saw evil every time he saw that cat.

He even refused to call him 'Sephy'. It was too much like 'Sephiroth' and Cloud could see the comparisons to the two devils. So he just says 'that thing' or 'the damn cat'. Tifa didn't appreciate it though, because every time he would say it, she would shot him an angry look. When that look didn't work, she would give him a sad look and he could feel his heart clench. How the hell did she know how to do that?

And Zack and Sephy were not getting along well at all. Sometimes Zack is absolutely terrified of the demonic thing. But sometimes he would try to chase Sephy, but the kitten would just give it some kind of evil smirk and his eyes would slant so much that he would almost close his eyes. At that time, Zack would run away and would shelter behind Cloud's legs.

But now Cloud was trying to enjoy a peaceful moment to himself. Bed time. Tifa wasn't with him because she had started up a book club in the bar on Friday nights. So he could sometimes hear their laughter and he would feel the urge to groan loudly. He wondered what women did at book clubs anyway, just talk about books? That would be boring. But Cloud knew that they drank because when he would go downstairs Tifa would be putting away empty wine bottles. Tifa even tried to rook him to join but Cloud vehemently refused.

He didn't notice when the door creaked open slowly, and stealthy silver kitten coming in the room with an evil smile on his face. Cloud hated cats even more since he got the little demon; Sephy got into the habit of waking him up in a very unpleasant way. And ever since they moved the dogs into the living room, they weren't able to warn Cloud of what would happen next.

Sephy crawled underneath the blanket, and the oblivious Cloud just stayed there. The next thing Cloud knew, his legs were being used as a scratching post.

"Oww! Damn it!" Cloud swore and swung out of the bed. Sephy was just sitting on the blankets, looking evil and claws extended.

"That's it! You're going in your crate!"

Even though Tifa loved Sephy, she knew that little kittens could get out of hand sometimes and they bought a crate for the growing cat. They put him in there when he was being especially evil or when Cloud was too terrified of the little thing to concentrate on his work. But the thing was that the crate was down in the bar. And Cloud forgot a little fact as he stormed down the stairs in his pink fuzzy boxers that Tifa bought him as a joke (but he learned were very comfortable) with a silver furball under his arm. All that was seen of Sephy was his little face and his mouth open, as if he was enjoying himself.

When Cloud reached the bar, he finally remembered that Tifa had a book club meeting with strangers that he's never met before. And like a car crash, all heads turned in his direction. Women of all ages were there and a large smile came to their faces. Some of them even blushed with a pleased expression.

"Uh… Hi?"

Tifa looked absolutely embarrassed, her cheeks heating up and eyes wide as some of the girls laughed. Cloud wasn't really insecure about his body, when they were at the beach he had all of the girls' eyes on him with a thirsty expression. And he tried not to look pleased about it in front of Tifa, but the fact that he was in his boxers and they were pink made him a little uncomfortable. He didn't like embarrassing his fiancée so he felt some sort of shame from it and his cheeks began to redden.

Yuffie was also there, looking bored a second before Cloud came in, now whistled. He wondered why the ninja would be there since she declared more than once that she hated books before throwing them at the wall.

"Way to go, Spike! You made this not boring any more!"

Tifa stood up, trying to regain her dignity and walked quickly over to Cloud and turned him around to push him out of the bar. But something next to Tifa's chair caught the corner of his eye. It was a guy! What the hell was he doing here? He whipped his head around to get a better look at him and noticed that he had biceps smaller that Barrett's but drool worthy to women and chestnut color hair with piercing grey eyes. Why was a good looking man at Tifa's book club? And was he smirking?

"Who's that!" Cloud said before being pushed rougher out of the bar.

"Just stay upstairs!" Somehow Tifa managed to push him back into their room and was gone in the next instant. Cloud just stood there, shocked. He looked down and saw that he was still holding Sephy, and Sephy looked up at him.

"You planned this, didn't you?"

Cloud could've sworn he saw the demonic cat nod.

He threw the cat out of the room and shut the door. He didn't know why Tifa was so upset with him, all he wanted to do was protect her. Maybe he was being a little possessive, but it was because she never told him that a hunky guy sits next to her at her book club. Who knows what goes down at those types of things? What did they even do? He asked himself again. An image of the man leaning in _his_ fiancées ear and whispering what he wanted to do with her was enough to make him go mad. How dare she cheat on him like that!

He realized that he was coming to conclusions really fast. Tifa would never cheat on him. And the man might be there for really innocent reasons, like maybe his wife dragged him there. That was a good explanation; maybe the wife threatened no sexual activities until he went. Feeling better Cloud slipped under the blankets and tried to fall asleep.

A little while later when Tifa's book club finished, she walked into the room, trying to be as quiet as possible. Of course he heard her enter, he couldn't fall asleep because he thought of more troubling thoughts and he couldn't shake them. He heard her begin to remove her work clothes and he was tempted to help her. Not now, Damn it! This was serious!

"Who was that man?" Cloud asked from underneath the blankets.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you," She avoided his question, she sounded amused. And he heard drawers open, taking out her sleepwear

"I was up. Now answer my question."

"Do I detect jealousy coming from you, Cloud?" She asked and he could hear the smile in her voice. She heard him mumble a 'no' very softly and her smile widened, he was too cute for his own good. Of course he'd be jealous, Tifa knew one of his greatest fears was that she would leave him. But she decided to tease him. "Well I don't blame you. He's good-looking, isn't he?"

Cloud just made a 'hmph' noise, trying to show his irritation with the subject.

"He's smart, too."

Hmph.

"And very strong."

Hmph!

"He helped me put away some boxes for the morning. So you don't have to get up early on your day off."

HMPH!

Tifa smiled, enjoying his pain. "Well good night, Cloud." She said as she climbed into their bed so that they were face-to-face. Cloud just looked traumatized. She smiled larger as she snuggled into him and was even happier when she felt his arms go around her like he wouldn't let go.

Cloud woke up before Tifa and found that she was now on top of him. He smiled and kissed the top of her head before he remembered the previous night. He slid her off him and watched as she snuggled up with the pillow.

So, she didn't admit to anything, and he knew she wouldn't cheat on him, but he didn't like the fact that a man was flirting with her when she was supposed to be reading. And the man was good looking too, so he could get anyone he wanted. What if he wanted Tifa? Who wouldn't want Tifa? The thought drove him crazy.

He found himself in the kitchen and making coffee and watched as Zack entered the room with a sleepy expression on his face. It was too damn early! But he didn't want to be home when Tifa told him she was leaving him for that guy. So his schedule was: Drink coffee, shower, go on far away deliveries, and come back when Tifa was already asleep. Then she wouldn't have any time to break up with him.

Zack some how knew something was wrong with his best friend because he began to whine like he knew he was about to leave.

Clouds plans shattered when he heard Tifas footsteps coming. He immediately sat at the table and pretended to be busy with the receipts that were already on the table. Tifa entered the kitchen and smiled at him. "Good morning, Cloud." Zack whined from next to Cloud and Tifa smiled. "Good morning, Zack." She pat his head.

"'Morning." As she walked by him she ran her fingers through his unruly hair, a gesture she always liked to do. She grabbed a mug from the cupboard and poured herself a cup.

"Yuffie came into town yesterday." Tifa started.

"I remember." He mumbled.

"She's going to help me look for a wedding dress today." Tifa watched his reaction and noticed he seemed confused.

"O-oh."

"It's been a year, you know." She looked down at the pretty engagement ring he got her and smiled thinking of how he must had had trouble choosing the ring. She looked back up at Cloud and saw that he was actually blushing.

"Yeah, I know." He became quiet after that and she knew that he was upset about something.

"Don't tell me you're still upset about last night."

He quickly became flustered. "I-I'm not!"

She raised one of her brows. "Really?" She walked up to him so she was peering over his shoulder. "Your receipts are upside down." Another common symptom to Cloud being flustered.

He whipped around to look at her, and there was hurt in his eyes. "I'm sorry I can't be as perfect as that guy!" He exploded. Tifa knew he was really jealous, and smiled endearingly. "Why are you smiling? Are you going to tell me you're leaving me for him?

"Cloud-"Tifa was still smiling.

"No, if you're telling me that then I'll have to force you to stay with me!" Clouds worst fear was that he would be alone. Tifa knew that Cloud suffered with people leaving him, like his parents, Zack (the human), Sephiroth, and Aerith (also the human).

Her smile disappeared. "Cloud-"

"I don't want to be alone!"

Zack's head was moving back and forth like he was watching a tennis match.

"Cloud!"

"What?"

"He's gay."

The expression that crossed his face was priceless. "What?"

"The man at the book club that you think I'll leave you for is gay." She explained and watched clarity reach his features.

"Oh." He said with some trouble.

Tifa began to laugh and she leaned in to kiss his very red cheek. "There's no need to be jealous, I'd never leave you for another man." She practically bounced to get ready.

Cloud immediately went up to chase her and caught her before she reached the bedroom and began to kiss her more seriously. Her hands rested on his chest as he picked her up.

A scratching noise made Tifa push away from him and look at the source. It was Sephy scratching the expensive couch. She ran to him and picked him up mid scratch. "Sephy! No! Bad kitty!" Tifa ran down the steps to the bar to put the cat in his crate.

Cloud sighed and saw that Aerith was looking at him from her doggie bed. She knew it too.

Tifa left him for a cat.

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_Ahh I think everyone loves a jealous Cloud, if you review I might reward all of you again ;D_

_REVIEWWW! Pwease? :3_


	4. Betrayal

_Okay! so we're half way through this thing! I said I would upload this on Friday but that didn't happen... sorry. *hides* _

_A huge thanks to _**muffcakeloverxiii**_, _**Rend**_, and _**Chibi Emo-Chan **_for reviewing! Keep them coming! :D_

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_**Sephy the Kitty- **_**4) Betrayal**

Cloud was wondering why his life had to be so complicated. First there was the whole confusion on if he was a real person or not. Then there was the question if he was going crazy due to the voices in his head. Oh yes, he had to face many demons to come this far. And up until recently, he thought that his life was going the way he wanted it to be; he had the children that adored him, the prettiest finacee, and a dog that stopped destroying everything. But then Tifa had to bring that demon home. And it awakened the wolf side of Zack that was never seen before.

The day started off normally, Cloud eating breakfast with Tifa before he had to make deliveries. The kids just left for school a few moments before; they said that there was going to be a special guest at their school or something like that, so they wanted to leave quickly. Of course, the children being young loved the monster, and he tolerated them, which was more than what he felt for the savior of the planet.

"I think we should start making wedding plans," Tifa said suddenly, putting down her spoon to her oatmeal. Cloud, a little shocked, freezing his fork halfway to his mouth. "You don't have to look so shocked. It has been a year you know."

"You're right" Cloud said, resuming his eating. "Well I was thinking…" Cloud stopped suddenly. Tifa sighed. She new that when Cloud stopped mid-sentence, that usually means that a certain demonic cat walked in the room. Tifa looked over the counter and saw that Sephy was sitting next to Cloud, who was sitting on a bar stool. Cloud was looking down while Sephy was looking up. Another staring match.

Sephy turned his back suddenly, and walked towards the stair case. He turned his head back to look at Cloud again with a gleam in his eyes. His tail twitched in the direction he was going.

"I think he wants you to follow him," Tifa said with a smile. Cloud gulped. He stood up cautiously, as if Sephy might strike him while his guard is down. Sephy just turned back around and climbed the stairs.

The first thing that Cloud noticed was that there was a strange sound coming from his and Tifa's bedroom. Sephy bumped his head lightly against the door, signaling he should open it. Cloud did so slowly.

"What the-? Zack! You don't do that to the furniture!" Tifa heard from the bar. She stopped what she was doing and dashed up the stairs.

"What's going on?" Tifa asked as she entered their bedroom. She saw Cloud holding Zack by the collar, and Zack looking a little pleased with himself. Sephy was on their bed, enjoying the show. Aerith casually strolled into the room when she heard the commotion.

"Zack-he was violating the chair!"

OoOoOo

Now Zack's pleased expression turned to one of anxiousness, guilt, and slight betrayal as the traveled to the veterinarian office. Cloud was driving the car that they borrowed from Barrett, because they couldn't possible use Fenrir, and Tifa was in the passengers seat. Sephy was sitting in her lap, looking amused as he glance back at the nervous wolf in the back seat. Aerith was sitting next to Zack, occasionally pushing her head against his neck to calm him down. But he wasn't able to calm down.

They were about to take his manhood, after all.

"Why is it so far now?" Cloud gritted out. The vet office that they went to when the first got Zack was moved due to certain circumstances, and they now find themselves going to a place on the other side of the city. The old vet was so convenient too, because it was a couple of blocks away from the bar. Now they had to pass through the Christmas shopping traffic, and the people who actually _stopped_ to look at the Christmas lights.

"I don't know," Tifa said, rubbing her fingers through Sephy's silver fur. He purred a little.

But within a matter of minutes, they were trying to find a free space in the parking lot. Zack was getting more and more nervous by the second. Tifa reached in the back seat so she could attach the leash to Zack's collar. Usually Cloud and Tifa never had to strap him and Aerith up, but they didn't trust Zack at the moment to think rationally. Tifa handed Cloud the leash.

"Welcome," The secretary said as Cloud and Tifa entered with all of the animals. "How can I help you?"

"Hi, we called ahead to have our dog neutered." Tifa said and Zack visibly flinched. The secretary looked over the desk and saw all the animals looking up at her. She smiled.

"You've got quite a crowed there,"

"We know," Cloud muttered and Tifa elbowed him. The secretary just looked confused. Cloud was just glad it wasn't the same secretary as last year...

OoOoOo

"Zack! Sit still!" Cloud tried to calm the large beast down. It wasn't helping that the vet was trying to stick a needle in him. And it didn't help that Tifa was in the waiting room with Aerith and Sephy. Cloud knew how humiliated Zack would be if his girlfriend and enemy saw his manhood destroyed.

Cloud looked at the vet and saw that he was also trying to help. It was the same vet as last year when they came in to give Zack his shots. "This is normal, it's like they know what's about to happen." He smiled.

Cloud finally got a hold of the large dog and the vet immediately inserted the needle. Zack gave Cloud one final look of betrayal before blacking out. The look would haunt Cloud for a very long time.

Not wanting to see some private parts of Zack chopped off, Cloud left the room as the vet was loading Zack on the table. Tifa stood up when she saw him come out of the room with a haunted expression. Aerith immediately walked up to him, concerned. Sephy, who was now sporting a black leather collar, halter and leash from the shelters gift shop area, was looking evil as normal.

"Is everything okay?" Tifa asked, putting the cat on the ground.

"Yeah. The vet said it would take around forty five minutes." He slumped down in one of the chairs, still looking haunted.

"Are you okay?" Tifa sat down next to him.

"Yeah." He looked up at her then cracked. "No. You should have seen the way he looked at me before he blacked out. It was they way I imagine how the real Zack looked at me when I couldn't help him before he died."

Tifa wrapped her arms around his head and brought him down to her chest. "Zack wouldn't have looked at you that way. He did it all for you." Aerith walked back over and rested her head on his lap, silently telling him that it was okay. Cloud wrapped his arms around Tifa's waist and buried his head in her neck.

Another vet came out of one of the rooms. "Oh, sorry. Am I interrupting something?" Cloud was tempted to say yes but instead he untangled himself from his fiancée. "I was told that you are getting one of your dogs neutered." She looked at a file in her hand. "We have a policy that if you get one of your dogs neutered/spayed we could get the other one neutered/spayed at half price on the same day."

Both Tifa and Cloud looked at Aerith. She looked unaffected. "I don't know…"

The vet pushed her glasses up her nose. "Well, it's up to the owner. But did you know that there is an over population of animals in the world? Because of that many dogs are strays and are caught by the pounds. Also, did you know that 90% of animals that enter kill shelters are euthanized? And absolutely nothing may be wrong with them. They could be dogs like Zack or Aerith. So we try to preach people to get their animals neutered or spayed, so we stop the unnecessary breeding of puppies or kittens."

Tifa was now becoming teary eyed and stood up. "Okay, lets do it." She handed over Sephys leash to Cloud, who was now dumb founded. When Tifa left the room Cloud looked at the evil kitten. He hissed at him. He stood up immediately and followed Tifa in the room.

"First we'll have to conduct some tests to make sure she's okay to get spayed." The doctor took out a needle. Aerith didn't even flinch when she inserted the needle. "This should take about five to ten minutes."

When the vet came back she was holding a clipboard with a puzzled expression. "You said Aerith is around a year right?"

Cloud and Tifa looked at each other before looking back at the vet. "Yes?"

"And Zack's around that age too, right?"

"Yes."

The vet lowered her clipboard. "I'm sorry, we can't spay her."

They both looked at each other again before Tifa spoke up. "Why not?"

"Because she's pregnant."

"Pre-pregnant?" Cloud nearly hissed. He could see all the money in his wallet fade away. It was expensive enough to have the two dog and the evil kitty, but another set of dogs?

"Isn't that great?" Tifa was nearly jumping in joy, and Cloud looked at her with a blank expression.

"You- You're happy about this?" Cloud asked incredulously. Tifa nodded her head quickly, a big smile planted on her face. He sighed.

"Why do these things always happen to me?"

Sephy seemed to sense Cloud's distress because he started to scratch up his pants.

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_The fact about 90% of animals entering kill-shelters are euthanized is true. My sister recently started volunteering at an animal shelter (no-kill!) and they told her that. _

_So, how did you think of this chapter? I really love to hear feedback, so please please please REVIEW!_


	5. Snow

_Another late one. I'm really sorry! We only have 2 or 3 left until the story ends. So if you want your username featured you'll have to review!_

_Thanks to _**cookies19, neurogal09, BloodTrinity, Chibi Emo-Chan, Muffcakeloverxiii **_for reviewing! It really means a lot to me! :D_

_Disclaimer: None of it belongs to me... some crazy stuff would be happening if I did xD_

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_**Sephy the Kitty-**_ **5) Snow**

Tifa sighed. Another slow day at the 7th Heaven. But what scared away the customers was not the sometimes jealous fiance of the barmaid, or the evil cat that would sometimes watch them drink. It was the weather forecast that got them this time. The supposedly "inclement snowstorm," was just a regular flow of snowflakes. But since this was the first snowfall of the year, it looked like a lot. And people were too afraid to leave their houses. She sighed again.

It's been snowing ever since the morning, and now since it was mid-afternoon, there was a fine layer of snow on the ground. Some people came in for a drink in the middle of the day to escape from their work, and some just came in to avoid the falling flakes. But they didn't have much, fearing that it would get worse if they waited too long.

So Tifa was in the bar alone. Cloud claimed earlier that morning that he wasn't feeling well, so he's been sleeping in their bed all day. She imagined that it was about hearing about the shocking news the other day about Aerith's pregnancy. They had decided that they would give her puppies to their friends that really wanted them; Tifa happened to know that Cid and Shera wanted a furry new friend. Aerith was now resting with Zack. Not even Sephy came down to play with her. He was probably thinking of a way to torture Cloud on his day off. Either that or the kids where playing with him.

For some reason, Sephy really liked the kids. Sure, when they were looking at him, he would be cold and indifferent. But Tifa remembered one time when Marlene fell down and got her hands and knees scraped, Sephy came right up to her and looked worried. But then Marlene saw him and he pretended that he was just walking by. It proved that he was actually a nice kitty, even if he didn't want to admit it himself.

Looking at the snow outside, an idea hatched in Tifa's head. She walked over to the staircase.

"Hey Cloud! There's snow outside!"

Within a matter of seconds, she heard the floors creak and loud quick thumping coming down the stairs. He emerged and rushed towards the window. He saw how the snow was untainted on the ground, and still looked really soft. There was a look of pure excitement on his face and Tifa smiled. Tifa remembered when they were kids in Nibelheim she would see Cloud playing in the snow all alone and she would be tempted to join him but she feared what the other kids of the town would think. She was making up for it now.

"Can we play in it?" Cloud asked like he was a little kid. His hair was a lot messier than his regular spikes. The undershirt he started to wear to bed was rumpled from sleep and the plaid pants were baggy around his legs. He looked adorable, was Tifa's first thought.

"Of course," She giggled as sparkles came into his eyes. He ran past her and she heard the door slam to their room. She walked up the stairs to tell the kids.

When she opened the door to the kids bedroom, her previous thoughts were confirmed when she saw the kids playing with Sephy's paws. When he saw Tifa, he jumped away from them, and pretended that he was disgusted by the games they were playing.

"We're going to go out in the snow, do you want to come?" Tifa asked the kids. They brightened up right away.

"Yes!" They both chanted at the same time. The Marlene reached over to pick up Sephy.

"Can Sephy come too?" She asked with begging eyes. Tifa smiled.

"Sure, but make sure he has something warm on"

So within a half an hour, they were all ready to play in the snow. Tifa closed up the bar early so they could go to the park down the street to play. Cloud was looking more excited that usual, and the dogs seemed to enjoy the walk in the snow. Zack was trying to catch the snow flakes that were falling, but whenever he thought he go it, it would disappear. But then he would get distracted by another snowflake, then the cycle would go on. Marlene was holding Sephy, who was wearing an old sweater that was much too big on him. Denzel was holding the leash incase Sephy got out of Marlene's grip. But Tifa doubted that he would try to get away.

When they first sighted the park, they were pleased to find that no kids were there. Now they could hog the place all to their selves. Cloud ran forward and jumped on a particularly soft pile of snow and he smiled as the cold sensation hit him. The dogs followed Cloud's example and dove into the snow. The kids also did it too, with Sephy securely in Tifa's arms. She walked over to a snow infested bench and wiped off a small spot for Sephy to sit. He seemed content just to watch them.

While the humans started to make snowmen, Zack was happily digging holes in the snow, So he didn't notice the perfectly camouflage cat come up to him until he got some snow on him. Aeirth thought that she was watching the whole thing in slow motion as she saw the snow hit the silver furred cat. Zack was now paralyzed with fear. Only when Sephy raised his paw to smack him, Zack went bolting.

Due to Sephy's small body, he had to bounce in the snow to avoid being buried. And the large sweater wrapped around his body wasn't helping his speed either. Zack was able to get away easily. Sephy soon tired out and collapsed in exhaustion in the snow. Aerith walked up to Sephy to see if he was okay. She put her face underneath his body and slip him down until he was riding on her back. She carried him to the bench and slid him off her back so he was safe on the bench. Zack looked betrayed that she would actually help the demonic thing that tormented him. But he soon got over it and tackled Cloud.

Their play in the park had to be cut short since it was starting to get darker and colder out. Since the kids were tired, Tifa took Sephy in her arms and Sephy purred as he rubbed his face against her neck. Cloud didn't like the fact that sadistic cat was getting close to his fiancée. But he didn't have to worry for long because they reached the bar within a matter of minutes.

Tifa told the kids to get dry while she started to make hot chocolate. She took the wet sweater off Sephy and grabbed a small towel and wiped his fur dry from the parts that were exposed to the snow. Zack and Aerith shook their fur dry, and Cloud did something familiar to his golden spikes.

So not only was hot chocolate a bad idea, it also caused a very big mess. Sephy tries to annoy Cloud when nobody is looking, so when Cloud put his mug down to grab some marshmallows for the kids. Sephy walks over and knocks over the cup right on Zack's dirty fur. Zack doesn't seem to mind the burning liquid on his back, but he does mind it when Aerith was looking at him with laughing eyes.

Cloud noticed the spilled hot chocolate and looked at the evil looking cat.

"Sorry Cloud, that was the last bit of hot chocolate…" Tifa said reluctantly.

Cloud looked at the cat with murder in his eyes.

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_Well, what did you think? Review please!_


	6. The Tree Watcher

_The story is rapidly coming to an end. Only 2 chapters left *cries*... I feel sleep deprived so this chapter may be a little choppy. So I promise I will get the last chapter up by Friday! :D_

_Thank you so much to _**tifaravenmaka, Chibi Emo-Chan, celticskyedancer, **_and_** Muffcakeloverxiii **_for reviewing! I love hearing your feedback! :D_

_Disclaimer: Nothing from Final Fantasy belongs to me_

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**_Sephy the Kitty- _6) The Tree Watcher**

"He's so cute!" Yuffie gushed as she looked at the bored looking cat. He was sitting on top of the bar and yawned. Zack was trotting around, happily, wanting to leave as soon as possible. Aerith, who was starting to starting to show signs of her pregnancy, was watching Zack. Tifa was helping the kids get their heavy gear on and Cloud was trying to decide which saw to bring with him.

Sephy showed no signs of wanting to go cut down a Christmas tree with them. None whatsoever. He kept peeking at the fools who were busy getting ready from the corner of his eye and would then look back at the annoying ninja trying to wiggle a piece of string in his face. His annoyance with her got the best of him and he swiped at the string. She kept dangling it away from his reach, so he found himself going on his back so he could swipe at it with both paws.

"I think he likes me!" Yuffie said with a giggle.

"That's good," Tifa said as she finished up with the kids and watched Sephy attack the string. "Now you know what to do right? No alcohol to kids, and keep an eye on Sephy,"

"Yes, I know," Yuffie said with a roll of her eyes. "I have watched over the bar before, and me an' Sephy get along great!"

"Then let's get going," Cloud said with a sense of urgency. He wanted to get away from the evil little thing as quickly as possible, it would be one of the first times that he would go out with his family with out the devil. But Sephy seemed to sense his urgency, because he jumped off the counter, and clung the back of Cloud's jacket. Cloud jumped and tried to throw the prying thing off his back. Before Cloud could get a hold on him, he jumped off of his back and into Tifa's arms. He looked up at her with pleading kitten eyes. Tifa crumbled.

"Aw! He wants to come with us!" Marlene said as he looked at her too.

"That's a great idea!" Yuffie said from behind the bar and Sephy looked at Cloud in victory. "Then I could give him my Christmas present early!" She lifted up a little cat sweater that had the same material that Cloud's shirts have. "I hope you don't mind, Spike, but I cut up some of your shirts to make this.

Cloud looked at her briefly before ripping off his jacket and groaning when he realized that he had a huge square hole on the back of his shirt. He clunked up the stair to get another shirt.

Every year the Chocobo farms have a Christmas tree sale, where happy tourists could cut down their own trees. It attracted a lot of people, and that is no exception to the people that once saved the world. While the people and animals of the 7th Heaven were there, they ran into Vincent Valentine. Although he was not going to cut down his own tree, he enjoyed looking at them. It freaked some of the tourists out when they saw the Very pale man with a red cape and black thick clothing staring at a large tree. He glanced at the group that was approaching him.

"You did not bring Yuffie, I hope?" He asked them and Tifa smiled. The last time they ran into Vincent, they had Yuffie with them and she clung to him the entire time. He seemed to be traumatized from that incident.

"Your safe today, Vincent." Tifa said and Cloud grunted before walking past the group.

"You have a new animal?" He asked as he looked at Sephy. Something clicked in his head and he took his Cerberus out of his concealed hiding place before pointing it to Sephy. "Sephiroth!" Tifa shielded Sephy.

"Don't worry! Sephy isn't going to hurt anybody!" Tifa said, trying to calm Vincent down.

"Speak for yourself," Cloud said from his hiding place behind a tree. Vincent paused for a second, before deciding to trust Tifa and putting his weapon away. She breathed out a sigh of relief. She was slightly thankful that the kids were a little further behind, roasting marshmallows.

He looked toward Aerith. "And she is pregnant," He observed. "What is to become of the puppies?"

"We're not sure yet, we might keep one, but the others…"

"I shall take one,"

"Huh?"

"You prefer gil?'

'"You really want one?" Tifa asked in disbelief.

"I believe I need a companion to accompany me in my travels."

"Then why don't you take Yuffie?" Vincent looked horrified, "I'm kidding!"

While this little exchange was going on, Cloud started to look around for any good trees. Then he spotted it. One that would look perfect in the living room behind the bar. While Cloud was taking a closer look at the tree, a little silver head poked out slowly. Cloud froze. Sephy's eyes slanted a little, and he gave Cloud what looked like and evil smile, showing off his sharp teeth. Cloud screamed.

Tifa looked over and saw that Cloud now was on the ground looking at the tree. "Oh, Cloud, it's perfect!" She walked up to the tree.

"No!" Cloud squeaked.

"What?" as she turned to look at him, Sephy poked his head out of the tree, trying to look as innocent as possible. She turned around and brought a hand to her mouth.

"Awwww!" She said as she scooped up Sephy and hugged him to her chest. Sephy looked at Cloud smugly. "See? Sephy likes it!"

"Yeah, sure he likes it," Cloud muttered.

It took Cloud a while to actually cut the tree down; everyone, including Vincent, was just watching him cut down the tree. The branches were slapping him in the face and he got sap all over his gloves. Then he had to drag it to the van but that time Denzel offered some help to his hero and carried the top of the tree. Marlene carried the kitty and Tifa was holding the dog leases. And as it was all going on, Tifa created a plan to get the silent gunman to face his fears.

"So did you find a tree?" Yuffie asked as Tifa and the kids walked into the bar. Their faces were a little red from being out in the cold, and Tifa started to help the kids take off their heavy gear.

"Yes we found a very good one," Tifa said as she started to unwind the scarf from Marlene's neck. Sephy jumped on the bar. "The boys are getting it off the van."

Yuffie was a little confused for a minute. "Boys" was plural, but last time she recalled, the only boys that went were Denzel and Cloud. And Denzel was standing in front of her, pulling off his mittens.

Then her question was answered when she saw Vincent and Cloud bring in the tree.

"Vinnie!" Yuffie called as she ran over to him. He froze and had to drop the tree when she nearly tackled him.

"You did not tell me that she would be here." Vincent said to Tifa. She tried to look as innocent as possible.

"I didn't? Weird, I thought I did." Vincent glared at her.

"Vinnie! I missed you! Why didn't you call me?"

While Yuffie kept yelling at Vincent, Tifa grabbed the other end of the tree so they could get it in the living room. After they managed to get the tree set up, they walked back to the bar to see Yuffie still yelling at Vincent. Zack and Aerith were cleaning their fur, but they notice one particular demon that seemed to be missing. Cloud froze.

"Tifa! Come see this!" Marlene called from the stairs. Both Cloud and Tifa rushed to the kids room and saw Sephy sleeping on Denzel's lap. For the second time that day, Tifa brought a hand to her mouth.

"Awww!" She gushed quietly, trying not to wake him.

"He still looks evil to me," Cloud grunted before walking out of the room.

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_So, only two chapters left. Review while you can! (you'll get your name featured in this story if you do) :D_


	7. The Babysitter

_(A.N) Well, only one chapter left! So sad :( I just want to say that if I didn't have my own little kitty I wouldn't have been able to write this. It also helps having my little puppy to see how they react to each other. Also, I really want to thank the people who have been correcting me! I'm a huge idiot at times and when I procrastinate with my writing it makes me a bigger idiot xD So bear with me when I make mistakes because I have to get two chapters out a week! :D But when I hear that I made a mistake I look harder to edit myself in my stories. So please, keep the reviews coming!_

_So a huge thanks to _**thesakuraclow****, ****tifaravenmaka****, ****BloodTrinity****, ****celticskyedancer****, ****Gregora****, ****Chibi Emo-Chan****, **_and_**Muffcakeloverxiii**_for reviewing! It makes me super happy to see that I got a new review :D_

_Disclaimer: Yeah, we all know Final Fantasy does not belong to me. If I did I wouldn't be writing fanfic… I would make it come alive!_

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_**Sephy the Kitty-**_** 7) The Babysitter**

"Are you sure you're going to be alright?" The paranoid barmaid asked the small ninja.

"Of course! The hero of Wutai can handle little kids and their pets!" Yuffie said with enthusiasm. Tifa was slipping on cotton gloves as Cloud came over, fully ready to go.

Earlier that evening, Tifa called Yuffie when she was eating some nice, hot steamed dumplings. She asked that if Yuffie could watch the kids since her and Cloud we're going to a Christmas party thrown by Reeve Tuesti. The young ninja asked why she wasn't invited to the party thrown by their seemingly mutual friend. Awkward silence.

"_Well great then! You can come over?"_

"Emergency numbers are on the fridge, and _please_ call us if there is any problem," Tifa said as Cloud put a hand on her lower back, trying to guide her out the door. "And we already fed the animals-" Cloud opened the door and continued to guide, "-so be sure to check if they have to use the bathroom later!" The door closed and they were gone. Yuffie waved as they drove away on Fenrir.

"Ms. Kisaragi?" Timid little Denzel called from the stairs.

"Come on, kid! Ms. Kisaragi sounds so old! Call me Yuffie!" She said as she reached the kids room.

"Oh, um, Yuffie, can you help me with a math problem?" Denzel asked. 'What kind of kid does their homework on a Saturday?' Was Yuffie's first thought. She couldn't say it out loud though because Tifa told her not to say anything mean to the kids…

"Of course I can help you! I am the smartest woman in Wutai after all!"

Denzel brightened a little and turned the book in her direction. Yuffie suddenly wished that she didn't agree to it. She looked up to Denzel, remembering that he was now eleven years old. She looked back down at the book and guessed that the math was at least the advanced algebra of a high school student. Maybe if she looked at his work on the previous problem, she would know what to do!

Nope.

Crap!

As Denzel tried to explain to her why he was stuck, she couldn't comprehend any of the big words he said. What the hell is a variable? But she certainly couldn't say that she didn't know it! That would make her look like an idiot! And he didn't seem to notice her struggling, in fact, she must have looked like she completely understood because he started to use even bigger words! Maybe she should tell him that she didn't have enough time for such simple math problems, and then leave the room dramatically.

"I tried asking Cloud, but he didn't seem to know…"

That's it; she couldn't miss this chance of making Cloud look like an idiot.

Everything she told the little kid was a complete guess. But he seemed to absorb it like a sponge and he thanked her as she walked out of the room. Yuffie left the room feeling victorious; for once she beat Cloud at something! Maybe she could make the young boy adore her more than the swordsman.

"Yuffie!" Marlene ran up to her as she was about to go downstairs. "I can't find Sephy!"

"I'm sure he's just hiding somewhere," Yuffie said uninterestingly.

"But he's not in any of his normal hiding places! Please help me look for him!"

Yuffie sighed. She just wanted to watch some TV. Being a teacher was exhausting and teaching something that she took a complete guess on took a lot out of her. But she unwillingly agreed any way. If the kid did lose the cat then there would be hell to pay.

About an hour of looking for the silver fluff ball, she was starting to get nervous. She knew how much Tifa loved the cat, and if Tifa was sad, it was most likely that she would have an angry ex-SOLDIER after her. With dangerous _sharp_ weapons. She could feel herself becoming more nervous by the second.

"Sephy! This _so_ isn't funny!"

Like some answer to her prayers, she heard a knock at the door. She opened the door and saw a familiar figure with long black hair and red cape.

"Vinnie!" She smiled a million-watt smile at him.

"I was told to come baby sit the kids. They did not tell me that you would be here." His expression changed from bored to annoyed.

"Great!" Yuffie grabbed his upper arm and dragged him into the bar. "Cloud and Tifa are going to _kill_ me! I lost Sephy! I was supposed to watch out for him!"

"Where are the other animals?"

"Oh no."

Yuffie dashed up the stairs. Looking for Sephy made her completely forget about the dogs.

The door to Cloud and Tifa's room swung open, making the two dogs snap their heads up. Yuffie sighed in relief. If she lost both of the dogs too, then she had a feeling that she wouldn't be allowed in the bar anymore. She turned around and saw the long haired man right behind her.

"Okay, both of the dogs are secure. But where's the God damn cat!"

"Where did you see him previously?" Vincent asked.

"Uhhh"

"You did at least watch the cat before he went missing, right?"

"Heheh." She began to rub the back of her neck as she laughed nervously. Vincent already knew the answer.

"Yuffie." He said sternly, wanting an actual answer out of her.

"No! You happy now? I had no idea where the cat was before I even came into this place!"

"Good, you admitted it." Vincent said before walking in the kitchen.

"Hey! Where are you going?"

Vincent pointed to the top of the refrigerator, but due to Yuffie's short size, she needed a chair to actually glance up there.

"Sephy! There you are!"

Sephy looked at her with irritation. He was having a nice nap before she started screaming.

The kids went running down the stairs. The both called out the cat's name and he perked up a little more in agitation. Yuffie tried to reach to him, but he swiped at her hand and she almost fell backwards.

"Oh yeah, he likes to sit up there sometimes." Marlene said, suddenly remembering.

'_I'm definitely asking for a raise' _she thought in irritation.

When Yuffie went on the chair again to grab him she noticed his ears were pressed to his skull. He hissed. "Uh, Vinnie, I think you should do this part." She stepped off the chair and stepped back, letting the cloaked man by.

He walked over and looked at the kitty. Sephy seemed to remember him from getting the Christmas tree and hissed at Vincent. Without hesitation, he picked up the cat and Sephy clamped on his arm and began to bite him.

"Ouch! Doesn't that hurt?" Yuffie brought her hands to mouth.

"No." He didn't even flinch or change his same bored expression when Sephy continued to bite him.

"So, were you not invited to the party?" She asked. He probably wasn't invited since he was with her right now. She smiled; they were already brought together by fate.

"I was invited. I chose not to go."

Yuffie huffed. "What's wrong with me? I am the single white rose of Wutai! They should be begging me to join their parties!"

Vincent turned his back to her, put the cat down, and began to walk away. When the little ninja began yelling at him and following it looked like he showed the slightest bit of a smile. But he wasn't about to let Yuffie see it.

Cloud and Tifa came home another three hours later. The kids were in bed and Yuffie was found sleeping on Vincent's shoulder.

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_Ah, I just love Vincent and Yuffie. What do you think? So there's only one more left. Now's the time to review. It's your last chance to get your name featured in this story! So REVIEW! :D_


	8. Saved

_(A.N) So this is the last chapter *cry* Endings are always sad. This one isn't as funny, but as I have said before, what do you expect from the last chapter?_

_A very large thanks to _**Chibi Emo-Chan**_, _**Muffcakeloverxiii**_, _**celticskyedancer**_, and _**sunset in love**_ (haha!) for reviewing! And to everyone who has reviewed and will review thank you so much! I love hearing everyone's feedback!_

_Disclaimer: Yeah, nothing from Final Fantasy belongs to me_

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**_Sephy the Kitty- 8) Saved_**

Cloud wondered why he was so lucky. He had the girl he always wanted, he had to fabulous children, although they weren't his, and he has his best friend back. Although he's doubted his luck recently with his enemy that magically reappeared in his life, he believed he was really lucky. Of course a few years ago he didn't know how lucky he was and he always tried to run away. He decided that he wasn't very smart back then.

But right now, he was just cold. He was sitting besides the frozen lakeside that was outside Edge, watching Tifa, the kids and the animals playing on the ice. Due to his inability to ice skate, he refused to get on the ice. Plus while Tifa was trying to convince him to get on the ice, Sephy was giving a look saying, '_I'll make your life miserable if you go on the ice.'_ That gave Cloud more reason to say no. So Tifa gave him the duty of watching their stuff. Which were their shoes, and a blanket that was currently wrapped around Cloud.

The kids looked a little shaky on the ice, since they didn't know how to either, but Tifa was trying to teach the kids with little luck. Cloud remembered when they were kids in Nibelheim he used to watch her ice skate with the other kids and he would watch with envy. She just looked so pretty as she would do her spins. Now the dogs were chasing each other, and Sephy was looking unstable on the ice, which amused Cloud. He was a little happy to see the sadistic cat looking nervous for once.

Cloud sighed and looked at a watch on his wrist. They had to leave soon so they could get the bar ready for their friends that were coming. Christmas Eve was one of the only times that all of them could just be together like they used to be. With the addition of the President, who claimed that since they worked together, that he was invited to their party. Cloud sighed. Rufus always had an opinion when he was at the bar. He asked if everything was supposed to be black, or look like it was run by wolves.

Clouds thoughts were interrupted by a crashing sound that resembled the sound of ice breaking and a splash. Cloud snapped his head up and saw that Tifa was trying to rip off her ice skates, and failing, and yelling at the kids not to get close. And the kids were looking at the hole in the ice in horror, and the two dogs getting a better look at the hole. He noticed that one cat was missing. His thoughts were confirmed when the cat's head and flailing paws emerged from the water, looking desperate to find an edge before he sunk back in the water for good.

With out even thinking about it, Cloud jumped up, unwrapping himself from the blanket and running on the ice. Going on the ice he remembered that he couldn't skate, but he wouldn't let that stop him. He quickly tore off his jacket and boots before he reached the hole and dived in. He heard Tifa call his name.

The cold water instantly felt like daggers against his skin, and he could barely open his eyes to see any sign of a silver ball. Cloud swam deeper. He knew it would be worse for normal people, and since he had the make injections he was able to handle the cold better than everyone else, but he still acted like a baby when it was below freezing outside. Finally he saw a flash of silver from the corner of his slanted eyes, but his limbs were feeling heavier and he was running out of oxygen in his lungs. He reached for the limp cat, only to have him float even further away; he looked at Cloud with partially closed eyes. It was like the evil cat already gave up saving himself. Cloud blew out, trying to find much needed air. His muscles began to lock and the cold felt like it was starting to freeze his limps, but he kept reaching for Sephy.

Finally he grabbed a fist full of silver fur and pulled Sephy tightly against him. He looked up, trying to find any sign of the hole that he jumped through. It was too dark to see anything, he realized with despair.

'_Great, I die trying to save my only enemy."_ Cloud thought with bitter humor. But then Sephy looked up at Cloud, his green eyes showing his gratefulness of the attempt of saving him. Cloud felt his throat close up as he tugged the cat closer to him and closed his eyes.

He then felt something pull hard on the back of his shirt, and he looked up slowly to see that two dogs were dragging him up. They broke the surface and Cloud gasped, trying to fill his lungs of air too quickly and started to choke. Cloud felt Sephy trying to get air too. A strong pair of arms pulled Cloud up and the dogs jumped out of the frigid water. Tifa dragged Cloud away from the thin ice.

"Kids!" Tifa yelled towards the two figures that were frozen in fear, "Get the blankets!"

The wet dogs tried shaking the cold water out of their fur, and the kids ran over, their ice skates now off, and handed Tifa the blankets. She wrapped them tightly around both Cloud and Sephy, and he felt relief as the cold air was blocked from his body. The dogs walked over, showing worry towards their master. Cloud smiled at them.

"Thanks for the help," Cloud said and Zack licked his face with a warm tongue. He looked up at Tifa and saw that pure relief was on her face and he looked down to see if she got the ice skates off. She had tears streaming down her face. Her feet were bare, so her socks must have gotten ripped off when she took off the ice skates. Cloud laughed a little and reached out to take her foot in his freezing hands. "Your feet are cold."

"You idiot," She mumbled as she tackled him in a hug. He could feel Sephy shaking against him, but still alive.

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Cloud could still feel the chill down to his very bone. Even after he took a really long, hot, shower. When they were coming home from the lake, Tifa was driving like a maniac, trying to get to the bar as soon as possible. She demanded that Cloud take a warm shower, and she would warm Sephy up in the sink.

As Cloud exited the bathroom, he stopped mid-step when he saw Sephy waiting, his fur looking like it got dried by a hair drier. Oh great, Sephy was probably angry now because he almost failed on his attempt to save him. But this time, Cloud was ready for his fury.

He was a little surprised when he felt something brush against his legs gently. He looked down and saw Sephy rubbing his head against his legs. Cloud bent down and pet Sephy's head and he leaned into his hand.

"So are you going to be nice to me now?" Cloud asked with a smile. Sephy bit his hand softly, which was very different than his bites that usually hurt. It looked like Sephy was smiling.

After everyone had arrived that night they all heard the heroic story from Tifa, who was practically bragging about it. Cloud didn't mind though; she was looking at him the entire time with adoration and a very large smile. She was relieved that he was alright but she was more relieved when the fragile kitty survived. He knew how much the little fur ball meant to her. Everyone ooh and ah'ed over the story but they were more amazed when they saw the kitty just sitting next to him, not moving an inch. Cloud even managed to pet him once or twice as reconciliation and Sephy didn't even bite or scratch him.

"You never told anyone why you hate cats." Tifa said as she sat next to him and put a hand on his leg.

Cloud nodded and it seemed like he still wouldn't say anything but he looked at her and saw she was giving him a pleading look and he sighed. "You know the cat you had when we were young?"

Tifa smiled. "Yeah, Snowball." She loved that outdoors cat.

He looked down like he was ashamed. "He didn't like me. And I tried really hard for him to like me but he wouldn't warm up to me."

"Oh, yeah, I remember he would always scratch you so I tried to keep him away from you."

"And I figured because he didn't like me that you didn't like me either. So I began to hate all cats because I thought they would make you hate me." He admitted, his face changing to a shade of red.

Everyone in the room made an 'awww' noise and he blushed deeper and sunk in his seat. He didn't like all the pity on him. Tifa grabbed his face and kissed him deeply and everyone's 'awww's' changed into whooping noises. She pulled away and smiled. "I could never hate you, silly."

He smiled and looked around the room. Barrett had Marlene on his lap like he was Santa and Denzel was right next to them. Yuffie was in the exact same position as Marlene except she was on Vincent's lap and he didn't look happy at all. Cid was leaning against the wall and his pregnant wife was sitting in the dining chair in front of him as she was nibbling on a cookie. Red was on the ground in the center of the floor. Elmyra was on the ground by the dogs, petting the dog that resembled her adopted daughter. And Rufus was sitting on the opposite sofa with Tseng and Elena next to him and Reno and Rude were standing in alert behind the sofa.

Cloud looked down at the kitty at the same moment he looked up at him. His eyes showed that they settled a truce. And Cloud knew that he was able to respect his old enemy again.

A few hours after everybody left, and long after the kids went to bed, Cloud and Tifa were cleaning the bar up from their party that seemed to get out of hand. Their neighbors actually called the police. But they went away after they realized that the President was their with them.

Cloud was wiping down the counter when he notice that Tifa's ring was sitting on it. He picked it up, then looked towards Tifa and saw that she was washing the dishes, so she probably took it off so she wouldn't lose it. When she finished, he handed it back to her. She sighed.

"Cloud, when are we going to get married?" She asked, looking tired of having to wait a year and still not having to plan anything.

"May 3rd" Cloud asked, like it was absolutely nothing.

"Cloud, that's my birthday."

"I know,"

"But there's no way that we could plan a wedding in five months…"

"That's why I already planned it all," Cloud said and she looked at him in shock.

"Wh-What-"

"Merry Christmas," Cloud said with a smile, and for the second time that day, Tifa tackled him with a hug.

_**The End**_

* * *

_So as all of you may tell, I will create a new story on May 3rd. So keep an eye out for it! Are all of you as sad ad me that the story is over? It has been a pleasure writing for you all._

_Well, until next time._

_-**ohsnapples**  
_


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